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Jeremy Corbyn concerned over Israeli boycott blacklist

UK Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn has signaled he is against Israel’s entry ban on prominent Palestine solidarity groups.

“Jeremy is concerned by reports that activists campaigning for justice for Palestinians, against illegal settlements and the ongoing occupation have been barred from Israel,” Corbyn’s spokesperson wrote in a statement to The Electronic Intifada.

The comments from the UK’s main opposition party were made after Israel finally published an already-existing “blacklist” of Palestine solidarity groups on Sunday.

All 20 of the human rights groups are now banned from both present-day Israel and the illegally occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip, for their support of BDS, the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement.

Globally condemned list

The blacklist has been condemned around the world, including by members of the ruling party in South Africa. The African National Congress’s Western Cape branch called it “an attack on South Africans and the ANC.”

BDS South Africa, which includes many ANC activists, is one of the groups on the blacklist.

But last month his spokesperson seemed to shy away from this, saying that Corbyn “doesn’t support BDS” but “targeted action aimed at illegal settlements and occupied territories.”

Gilad Erdan, whose ministry leads Israel’s semi-covert war against BDS, had earlier in December claimed that “there are anti-Semitic views in many of the leadership of the current Labour Party” in the UK. That appeared to be an attack on Corbyn.

BDS positions

Despite Corbyn’s long-standing connections to the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Israel this week appeared to hint he may be exempted from the entry ban.

Tel Aviv newspaper Haaretzreported that the ministry’s newly published criteria states that exceptions may be considered for “cases in which the extent of damage by denying entry to an individual is greater than the usefulness of denying entry,” one example being “holders of official positions.”

A ministry spokesperson told anti-Palestinian newspaper The Jewish Chronicle this week that each case would be “judged on its own merits.”

Kate Osamor, a member of Corbyn’s shadow cabinet and a key ally, last month tweeted her support for BDS.

Writing in left-wing paper the Morning Star, Ian Sinclair argued this week that Thornberry’s disturbing comments are part of a behind the scenes battle over Labour’s foreign policy.

Sinclair is the author of a book on British protests against the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

In this week’s column, he wrote “it is important that all those who want to see an anti-imperialist, humane and sane British foreign policy raise their voices against Thornberry when she glosses over Israel’s abysmal human rights record and tacks too closely to the establishment line.”

Comments

Reading to a crowd of racists from a script they handed her doesn't demonstrate political acumen on Thornberry's part. Nor does it speak to the cunning and sagacity of her handlers in the Israel lobby. In pursuit of their aims they shouldn't use this MP in so blatant and offensive a fashion. Unless of course they have no intention of backing her eventual leadership bid. In that case, they have a number of other candidates in waiting, operating more discreetly on behalf of the cause. But all indications are that Zionists don't possess that sort of strategic sophistication these days. Badly exposed within Labour, their support on any level will be a sign of a candidate's unsuitability to lead in the post- Corbyn era. The thuggery of the Israel lobby has made an indelible impression on Labour members. They're going to want someone with an unequivocal position on behalf of Palestine. And by the way, why am I even mentioning a "post-Corbyn era"? The work ahead is today's work. Corbyn's probably going to head the next government. That's where we should concentrate our efforts.